Demons nearly upset No. 2 Assumption

It was an excellent high school baseball game with two seniors on the mound for each team battling in a classic pitchers' duel for the right to win the Class 3A District 9 title and advance to a substate game for the right to go to state.

Two-time defending state champion Davenport Assumption (30-4) eked out a 2-1 win at Dick Sojka Field in Washington Monday and will face Fairfield (26-4), a 9-2 winner over Mt. Pleasant (21-11), Wednesday with the winner playing in the state tournament in Des Moines.

'It was a great ballgame between two really good teams,” Washington coach Nathan Miller said. 'It's too bad it couldn't have happened in Des Moines.”

Washington ends the season with a mark of 22-9.

Washington's Kole Hinrichsen allowed five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out seven.

Davenport Assumption's Brandon Schlichting allowed two hits, one earned run, two walks and struck out 12 in six innings for the win.

'We knew we were in for a dogfight before the game started,” Assumption coach Greg Thissen said. 'Both guys on the mound were great. Their guy on the mound was nailing it. I knew Washington had a good guy on the mound but I didn't know he was going to be that good because he was outstanding. He threw pitches for strikes. He had a lot of velocity. He threw in and he threw out. Hats off to him because he pitched an excellent game.”

'Kole has been pitching like that all year,” Miller said. 'He has been an outstanding arm for us.”

Assumption has been held to two runs or less four other times this season and won three of those games.

'I don't know if the better team won or not,” Thiessen said. 'I knew Washington was good from what I had heard and they were better than that.”

The Demons, who were the visitors despite playing on their home field, struck first.

Luke Turner drew a one-out walk in the fourth inning. Brady Knutson was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Trevor Quigley lashed a ball into right-center field to score Turner.

'Trevor really came through with that hit,” Miller said. 'He likes to go to right center and that is his spot.”

The Knights tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff single, a wild pitch, a sacrifice bunt, then a sacrifice fly made it 1-1.

The Demons loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth inning with a single by Brant Stout, Cade Hennigan reached on an error and Turner was hit by a pitch.

'We had some opportunities, but we didn't get that bingo that we needed,” Miller said. 'We just didn't find a way to get that base hit that would've scored a run or two.”

The Demons got a runner to second base in the sixth inning, but two strikeouts ended the frame.

'I was telling the guys to swing the bat,” Miller said. 'You have to give yourself a chance to win.”

Assumption got the needed second run of the game with two outs in the sixth inning.

'I am kicking myself for calling a curveball on the pitch that the guy hit the single that scored the winning run for them,” Miller said. 'My whole motto is to challenge them and be aggressive, but we had been throwing so many fastballs that I thought that's what he would be looking for. We got a couple curveballs by him earlier in the game so I felt like we could come back to that. It just didn't work out.”

To start the seventh inning, Assumption brought in senior left-hander Nick Gotilla, who struck out the side for the save.

'It was a great game with a lot of emotion,” Thissen said. 'Both starting pitchers were phenomenal. The guys in the field were picking it up behind them. Their catcher was great. I feel bad for them, actually, because it was a heckuva game. That's a tough way to lose. I'm glad we won it but I've been on both sides of it and I know it's a tough way to lose.”

Thissen mentioned Washington catcher Knutson because he erased a runner in the first inning, throwing a runner out at second trying to steal and did it again in the fifth.

'My hat is off to them because they played outstanding,” Thissen said.

'I didn't know what to tell my guys after the game except that I am very proud of them and that I love them,” Miller said. 'It was not the ending that we wanted. Our guys went out and played their rear ends off. Our guys went after it tonight. Our guys are so competitive and they just gave everything they had. It's unfortunate it had to end.”

For Washington seniors Hennigan, Chase McDole, Stout, Hinrichsen and Mitchell Driscoll, it's the end of their high school careers.

'I thanked my seniors for everything they have done for us this season and over the last five years,” Miller said. 'I'm going to miss those five guys because they are great leaders and they really excelled.

'It was a fantastic season that really elevated our program. I'm lucky to have great young men with great attitudes.”